Nanjo Bunyu

Nanjō Bunyū^[1] (南条文雄) (July 1, 1849 - November 9, 1927) was one of the most important modern Japanese scholars of Buddhism. Nanjo was born to the abbot of Seiunji Temple (誓運寺), part of the Shinshu Ōtani sect (真宗大谷派) of the Higashi Honganji (東本願寺) branch of Jodo Shinshu.

Nanjō studied Classical Chinese texts and Buddhist doctrine in his youth before being sent to Europe in 1876 to study Sanskrit and Indian philosophy from European scholars, including Max Müller, under whom Bunyu studied in England. While there he met the Chinese Buddhist Yang Wenhui, whom he helped to acquire Japanese versions of Buddhist texts that had been lost in China to be reprinted at Yang's printing house in Nanjing. He returned to Japan in 1884 and served as a professor or head of a number of Buddhist seminaries and universities until his death.

Major publications

• (Co-editor with F. Max Müller) Buddhist texts from Japan. Oxford : Clarendon press, 1881-84.

• A catalogue of the Chinese translation of the Buddhist Tripitaka, the Sacred Canon of the Buddhists in China and Japan, compiled by order of the Secretary of State for India. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1883. Digitized index available here

• A short history of the twelve Japanese Buddhist sects. Translated from the original Japanese by Bunyiu Nanjio. .Tokyo, Bukkyo-sho-ei-yaku-shupan-sha, Meiji 19th year [1886].

• (Co-author) An unabridged Japanese-English dictionary, with copious illustrations, by Capt. F. Brinkley. Tokyo, Sanseido [1896].

References

• M. Zumoto, "Nanjio Bunyiu: His Life and Work"

1. ^ The usual spelling of his name in English publications was Nanjio Bunyiu, but this is not the current standard. It is however the form used in library records of his works.

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Place of birth	July 1, 1849
Date of death	November 9, 1927
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